Of all the adjectives that can be used to describe Tony Romo’s broadcasting style, “conventional” would not be one of them. His cheery disposition and boundless energy came to define CBS’ lead NFL crew. Sunday’s Packers-Vikings broadcast marked not only the debut of J.J. Watt as top analyst (for the time being, at least), but a return to a more traditional broadcast.
Gone were the unintelligible sounds and the incoherent babblings. Gone was so much of the playful banter that had become a staple of CBS’ top booth. Watt and play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz went back to the basics, delivering a solid, though unspectacular, broadcast.
Over the years, Romo became a target of criticism for his perceived lack of preparation. Watt, by comparison, left no such impression. The broadcast was filled with nuggets and anecdotes — evidence that the former All-Pro defensive end had done his homework.
Watt and the production crew began with statistical storytelling, using a graphic to show how infrequently Vikings QB Kyler Murray operates from under center. When the Packers began their first possession, the crew did the same for Jordan Love, highlighting how well the Packers QB performs with a clean pocket while also illustrating how much Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores opts to blitz.
Flores’ blitzing would become a major subplot, as the Vikings’ aggressive defense stifled the Packers for much of the second half.
Watt’s analysis on replays was strong throughout. After a Minnesota TD in the third quarter, Watt explained that Green Bay’s safeties widened, leaving Vikings TE TJ Hockenson wide open for the score.
In the 4th quarter, Packers QB Jordan Love attempted a QB sneak on a 4th and 1. The Vikings defense forced a turnover on downs, and Watt reprimanded the Packers for not having a player to push Love from behind.
Ultimately, Watt’s challenge is not an issue of substance, but of style. At times, his delivery is a bit flat, lacking the kind of urgency that viewers hear in analysis offered by Greg Olsen or Troy Aikman.
And while Watt understands the mechanics, at times his analysis leaves the viewer wanting a bit more.
If a Tony Romo broadcast is a luxury car, a Nantz-Watt broadcast is a sedan — it lacks some of the frills, but it gets the viewer where they need to go. Time will tell if that approach is enough to earn J.J. Watt the starting job on a permanent basis.
